The annual MLB winter meetings are set to start on Monday, and the 2013 MLB trade and free agency markets will take center stage at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tenn.

Some of the dominoes have already started to fall, setting up what could be an active week.

In just the past week alone, Russell Martin and B.J. Upton have taken up residence in new homes, Denard Span takes his talents to the nation's capital and two closers—Jonathan Broxton and Ryan Madson—are off the big board as well.

The New York Yankees signed two of their Core Four—Andy Pettitte and Mariano Rivera—to bring back their magic for one more season as well.

With an uptick in transactions in the week prior to the meetings, it could just be a harbinger of things to come.

Here are 25 predictions of transactions that could be seen in Nashville over the next week. Some of the predictions will be based partly on chatter seen on the web in recent days and weeks. Some will also be more speculative based on a team's particular need.

David Price Will Be Dealt by the Tampa Bay Rays

This is likely a prediction that has the least chance of happening on this entire list, but it's certainly worth keeping an eye on.

In his Insider-only blog post on ESPN.com on Saturday, Buster Olney broached the subject of the Tampa Bay Rays dealing reigning Cy Young Award pitcher David Price sometime within the next 13 months.

Could it actually happen within the next week?

Olney brings up the fact that Price will likely be priced out of Tampa. The Rays are also looking for offense that they can plug into their lineup right away.

Price could certainly provide that offense.

General manager Andrew Friedman would have to be completely blown away by any offer that comes his way. However, teams looking for an ace at the top of their rotation could very well entice Friedman with a package that makes sense for the Rays for the future.

Mike Napoli Signs with Texas Rangers

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With Russell Martin now off the table and the Texas Rangers non-tendering catcher Geovany Soto, there is no major league-ready catcher currently on the roster for the Rangers.

The pool of quality catchers is running thin on the open market. While the Boston Red Sox have made a strong play for free-agent backstop Mike Napoli, the Rangers may not be so willing to see Napoli leave town.

Napoli and the Rangers will come to an agreement, somewhere in the four-year, $40 million-$45 million range.

General manager Jeff Luhnow certainly gave some indication that he's ready to start adding some pieces.

Luhnow told Brian McTaggart of MLB.com that he's ready and open to discussing whatever may come up.

"It's a good opportunity, first of all, to discuss possible trade matches with other clubs, and we're going to be doing a lot of that," Luhnow said. "We've already started some of that. And secondly, a lot of the free agents and their representatives/agents are there at the Winter Meetings, so it's a good opportunity to talk to them firsthand and to get the ball rolling on any discussions."

It's a safe bet that Luhnow is targeting an impact bat with the Astros' move to the AL West Division next season. His boss, owner Jim Crane, has already had a sit-down with free-agent slugger Lance Berkman about the possibility of returning home to Houston as well.

Berkman isn't ready to retire just yet, especially after the way last season ended for him. This is a deal that gets consummated next week.

"There’s things we know we could do right now. Things we’re not ready to do right now. Things we’re choosing not to do right now. I still see the weekend before the winter meetings as pretty early in the offseason. There’s a lot of time before pitchers report and plenty of time to do stuff. The water is kind of moving down the river. We haven’t gotten to the waterfall yet. The winter meetings is usually when the water starts getting a little quicker and things start falling. Sometimes there’s a domino effect to these things. We’re actively engaged on a number of fronts. The free agent market, the trade market."

Josh Hamilton Will Remain Unsigned by Week's End

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One of the biggest free-agent sluggers on the market has drawn considerable interest, but he could remain unemployed by the end of the week.

Josh Hamilton and his agent have remained in touch with his former employer, the Texas Rangers. For now, the Rangers are content to let the process play out before involving themselves in negotiations.

Several other teams have been linked to Hamilton as well. However, the factors that are in play concerning Hamilton's signing—injury history, substance abuse—could keep Hamilton sidelined for a bit longer as each team continues determining whether the risk in signing him is worth the reward.

Zack Greinke Signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers

The hottest pitcher on the free-agent market is the hot topic du jour, especially on the West Coast.

On Friday, Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times reported that the Dodgers and Zack Greinke met sometime last week to discuss his future.

The Los Angeles Angels are obviously the other big West Coast suitor for Greinke, having traded three top-25 organizational prospects last season to acquire his services.

Greinke also met with the Angels last week as well. Halos GM Jerry Dipoto has already cleared payroll with the departures of Ervin Santana, Dan Haren and Torii Hunter, all presumably to have the necessary cushion to offer Greinke a deal to stay in Anaheim.

However, they still don't have the resources now available in Chavez Ravine.

Drew Stubbs Is Traded from the Cincinnati Reds

For the past four seasons, the Cincinnati Reds have been waiting on center fielder Drew Stubbs to realize his full potential.

That wait could now be over.

The Reds are desperate to find a leadoff bat as well as a left fielder and some depth on the bench. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, the Reds could use Stubbs to help fill those needs.

Sheldon only offered up Stubbs' name as a suggestion, the Reds have not publicly stated their desire to trade Stubbs.

But it's a move that makes sense. The Reds have speedster Billy Hamilton in waiting and could be ready to contribute full-time in 2014. Stubbs clearly has power, speed and great range in center field, so dealing him could net them a decent return.

Adam LaRoche Signs with the Washington Nationals

It hasn't been any secret that the Washington Nationals and first baseman Adam LaRoche are interested in continuing with their relationship.

LaRoche declined his mutual option for $10 million for the 2013 option, but it was more of the belief that he could get a multi-year contract.

According to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post, the only difference between the two sides is the possible difference of one year.

“To be honest, it’s a years thing now,” LaRoche told Kilgore. “I think they’re really wanting to stick to two years. I’m trying to talk them into lengthening that. To be honest, probably just one year. I’m not looking for four or five. I understand I’m 33 years old.

The two sides will work together to come to an agreement this week.

It's a deal that works for both sides as well. The Nationals love LaRoche's clubhouse presence, and LaRoche has clearly enjoyed his stay in the nation's capital. He can continue to provide leadership and contribute to the offense for the next three seasons.

With Span in place and the emergence of 25-year-old Tyler Moore, moving Morse makes sense. General manager Mike Rizzo can offer up a potent right-handed bat and fill other needs, including possibly a back-end rotation option.

Brandon McCarthy Signs with the Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are without question pitching-poor, having posted the worst ERA from its starting rotation in the American League in 2012.

General manager Terry Ryan will be heading to the winter meetings with approximately $25 million to spend, according to Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com.

With several holes to fill, Ryan will have to be fruitful with his money.

Brandon McCarthy could provide a great return without spending the vast portion of that money.

McCarthy would certainly present a risk, given his shoulder woes in the past. However, he thrived in Oakland over the past two seasons with a 3.29 ERA, and could provide the same kind of production at pitcher-friendly Target Field as well.

McCarthy's injury history will limit the overall money he receives—just perfect for a tight Twins budget.

Dan Haren Signs with the San Diego Padres

Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com said several weeks ago that a rival executive told him Haren was going to the Padres.

It's a great fit for both. Haren enjoyed an excellent relationship with Padres GM Josh Byrnes when both were in Arizona. If Haren is indeed healthy, he adds a great veteran presence and pinpoint command to a young starting rotation.

Despite the talk of trading any of their good, young position players, the Royals can simply look about 3.5 hours east on the I-70 to find what they're searching for.

That's where free-agent pitcher Kyle Lohse toiled with the St. Louis Cardinals, posting a 30-11 record and 3.11 ERA over the past two seasons.

Lohse gives the Royals a solid, consistent starter who may not blow anyone away with electric stuff, but he will put forth a quality effort each time out and give the Royals a chance to win with each start.

Justin Upton Will Be Traded to the Atlanta Braves

Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Justin Upton has certainly been a hot topic on the rumor wire for at least the past year, and that likely won't change anytime soon.

One recent article brought about another scenario, however.

On Thursday, Mark Bowman of MLB.com wrote about the Upton brothers—B.J. and Justin—talking about the possibility of playing together sometime in the future.

However, it was this particular few paragraphs that certainly popped out:

The D-backs have sent signals that Upton could be available via trade twice in the past six months. The club has recently indicated that it will not move him unless it nets a significant return. But with the Winter Meetings beginning in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday, there is always a chance things could change yet again.

The Braves would likely be interested in trading for Upton, and they have the kind of young arms -- Julio Teheran or Randall Delgado -- the D-backs are seeking.

But before doing this, the Braves would likely need to remove some payroll by trading pitcher Tommy Hanson or another veteran player.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Swisher is biding his time as he awaits his future.

"It's supposed to be an exciting time, not a stressful time. I'm over the stressful part now. I'm going to just have fun with this. I just want to scroll to the bottom line, sign my name in a few places, and get ready to play."

Six teams have expressed interest — the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers confirmed that they've talked with Swisher's representatives — and two visits are planned after baseball's annual winter meetings, which begin Sunday in Nashville.

Considering he has visits planned for after the completion of the meetings, unless Swisher is completely blown away by an offer before then, he'll just keep waiting.

Victorino can easily fill one of those slots and can help provide some production at the top of the lineup, something the Rays could certainly use. They hit just .229 collectively from the top two spots in the batting order in 2012.

Victorino also provides speed and Gold Glove defense. The Rays had the second-worst fielding percentage in the American League in 2012.

Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured on the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.